WOW! I have to say I am super impressed with how so many people got right back on program yesterday! Many even said by the end of last night how much better they felt already after being clean for only one day. It’s amazing how a holiday can set you back but as you learn to live the program you will see it gets easier and easier to not only control the holidays but to get back on program right after. Think about it – if you let the 4 days turn into 7 days you are going to have a much harder time getting back on. One of the rules of the program is not so much the holiday Cheating – but what you do after it. It’s super easy to Cheat but it’s twice as hard to get back on after a long holiday weekend. You need to use your mental strength to remember what you want and how much this means to you. While we want to enjoy summer we don’t want to throw away everything you worked so hard for. Yes, the first day back is super hard for everyone. Sometimes even the first week back can be difficult. But if you push yourself through it I promise by the end of the day you will feel better and by the end of the week you will feel amazing.   You will be thrilled that it’s behind you and that you are back on, feeling good and eating clean.

Do you remember when you were young and your parents went away and you were so excited — YAY! PARTYYYYY! The funny thing is, now you reflect back and realize your parents were thinking the same thing. They were thinking, the kids are gone let’s PARTY!!!! Yes – everything tends to come full circle and what we didn’t understand or even think of back then we understand now. If your kids are away you are certainly playing –  how much you play and how much damage you do will result in how the rest of your summer will be. You must stay mindful and remember to think before you eat and drink.

Many of you, which I am so thrilled to say, went into this 4 day weekend in a very good place. And now that a couple of days have passed and it’s Monday – where are you now? Have you followed what you planned or did you go off in a direction that you are not happy about and know you will regret if you continue? If you have stuck to your plan I want to tell you I am so super proud of you! This is such a tough weekend, but sticking to your good choices and feeling the best you can will make such a difference in your outcome. We all know how bad choices and good choices can dictate our mood. If you make good choices you feel great and when you make bad choices it makes you unhappy. While it seems like it should be so easy to choose HAPPY, the truth is, when the treats and Cheats are in your face is when you need to remember that eating clean makes you feel your best. Walking away will make you happy. Eating On Program makes you happy. Do what makes you happy.

Holidays are never easy and I wish I had the special powers to tell you that they don’t count. But the truth is, if it’s not your Cheat Day – what you do matters. What you choose today will show in your next weigh in and will result in how you feel the day after the holiday weekend is over. Do you want to look back and think about how you Cheated for 4 days straight and feel horrible or do you want to look back and think about how much you enjoyed your long weekend, stayed on program, enjoyed your Cheat Day and when you wake up Wednesday morning you will be looking forward to finishing out the week strong.  At the end of the day it’s always a choice. And it’s one that I can’t make for you. But it’s a choice that you have to always keep in mind that whichever decision you make will result in the way you feel and what you weigh today and next week.

Don’t let another two days go by before you do something because that will result in two more days of being in the wrong direction, and most likely for foods and treats that are not even worthing Cheating on. You want to make sure you are starting your summer following your program, staying on your path and making the decision that will make you happy. Whether you are at a friend’s or BBQ or home, you can get through the day with the same amount of food you get through when you are working or when it’s a normal weekday. 8 hours is 8 hours and 10 hours is 10 hours. Where you are and who you are with should not dictate how you eat.

If you want some extra motivation to get through your 4th of July Weekend then listen to our newest podcast:  Thea interviews Laurie Perroncino about how Laurie lost her 17lbs and reached her goal.

Just when you think you have it all under control – a busy end of the week comes along and throws you right off your path. Don’t worry, you are not alone. This is such a busy time of year with camp, proms, graduations. There is celebration after celebration and you are trying to be so good but feel the weakness of the struggle. This is when you really need to be your strongest because if you give in there may be no return and that is simply not an option before summer begins. When you live the program, you learn that you can have maintain weeks when it’s busy. That doesn’t mean you treat every day like a Cheat Day or even have a Cheat meal. It means that maybe you had an extra on program snack or two? A little hungrier day and you had an extra mini meal or maybe your food wasn’t as clean as you would have liked but you did your best. We all have busy times and we have to allow for them and learn that the best way to get through them is to not just do the program but learn to live the program and be okay with maintain days when you need them. Sometimes just being okay with it and giving yourself permission is all you really need to stay on program.

When it comes to eating habits, one of the major divides is Foodie vs. Snacker. Do you look forward to your meals where you get to eat your favorite dish? Or do you crave your snacks and savor every bite? Do you like to fill up on your favorite meal or snack during the day on your favorite salty, sweet, crunchy or chocolatey treats? Whether you prefer meals or snacks, even our die-hard foodies have to admit that a delicious On Program snack right when you need it can make your day. 

When it comes to snacks, there is another clear divide – Snacking vs. Snack. Though it doesn’t seem like a huge difference, when you break it down these two words mean something completely different. First of all, “snacking” is an action, it’s a verb. So many clients when they first sign up say that at a certain point in their day before they were on program, they would be “snacking” on whatever is around, whatever is in the office or kitchen, or whatever is leftover from their kids’ plates. We’ve all been there – you just keep eating like a marathon and the truth is, all those little bites add up. This mentality of just eating without thinking and without control is one of the main bad habits that you have to break when you start to eat clean. “Snacking” is continuous, it’s something that you do, not something that you eat – as it should be. 

The word “snack”, on the other hand, is a noun, it’s a singular thing. It has a beginning and an end, it’s measured and it serves a purpose. Innovation approved snacks provide nutrients as well as healthy carbs, fats, and protein – and they feed your body when you need fuel. That’s what eating clean is all about. Being on program means making choices and planning ahead. Your snacks are clear, portioned and planned. Yes, you can still get your salty fix or satisfy your sweet tooth and stay on program, yes you can have 3 snacks and lose weight – the point is that it’s everything in moderation. You not only lose weight when you pick your snacks instead of constant snacking, but you also stop letting cravings control your life. 

There are many reasons why we find ourselves “snacking” – often it is just emotional eating. We are bored or stressed or tired so we look to food to help us. This type of dependance on food is never good. Everything we eat should either be fuel during the week or a treat on our Cheat Day. Because the truth is, snacking won’t make you happy in the long run, it won’t take away your stress (it will probably add to it) and it won’t wake you up without a sugar or caffeine crash later. Another reason we find ourselves “snacking” is because we are busy, rushed or don’t think we have a choice. We are on the go or in a situation where we think we don’t have options. That can mean running errands, traveling, eating out, etc. We feel like we are forced to make decisions we don’t want to make, because of the situation and sometimes because of peer pressure. Our friends and loved ones don’t always know that we feel the need to comprise sometimes when we are around them. But in reality, we often make the wrong choice in these situations because we are looking for a reason to cheat or we are just don’t have the strength to to eat healthy. If these are the choices you make, you have to own up to them and the results that follow. But if you want to be healthy and consistent, you have to seek out the healthy choice and go after it with confidence. 

SNACKING is eating out of control

SNACKS are eating with a purpose 

The choice is yours 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10019